Heated Rivalry Season 2 In The Works — Here’s Why The Possibilities Feel Endless

“Hated Rivalry,” the exciting, excellent, and exciting hockey series that has recently been making waves on HBO Max thanks to a partnership with Canadian network Crave, is back for a second season…and the future seems limitless for the series, which was just barely crowned one of the best TV shows of 2025.

Justin Stockman, vice president of content and programming at Bell Media, which owns Crave, issued the following statement about the renewal (via The Hollywood Reporter): “‘Heated Rivalry’ represents the best of what Canadian creators can offer: rich characters, compelling drama, and a world that audiences want to live in. The response has been extraordinary, and to see the series now traveling internationally is an incredible accomplishment.”

Elsewhere, creator Justin Tierney (who has also overseen Canadian shows like “Letterkenny” and “Shoresy”) and fellow executive producer Brendan Brady offered a statement of their own: “Watching our show become an international phenomenon has been extraordinary. We are so grateful to everyone who has been on this journey with us. Being renewed for a second season so early is a true honor, and we can’t wait to bring you more of what you love.”

Anyone who’s seen “Hated Rivalry,” based on a collection of books by Rachel Reed, is probably most excited that we’ll see more of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, the hockey rivals and secret lovers played by Hudson Williams and Connor Story. However, Reed has published quite a few novels in her literary franchise, which is actually called the “Game Changers” series… and it’s entirely possible that future seasons of “Heated Rivalry” will shift the focus away from Shane and Ilya to other characters in this universe.

In 2023, Rachel Reid, who also hails from Canada, spoke to The Washington Post about why it felt important to her to write Game Changers novels, and specifically, why she wanted to bring the quirky characters of the hockey world to audiences. “‘Game Changers’ came from my anger at hockey culture and how clearly homophobic it is, and all the other things that made me feel really ashamed of being a hockey fan,” Reid, whose real name is Rachel Goguen, told the newspaper. “This entire series attacks the culture of the NHL and hockey to some extent.”

Funny enough, the real NHL seems to get as much attention as it does thanks to a “hot rivalry.” In fact, Sophie Nélisse, the “Yellowjackets” star who appears in the first season of the series as Rose Landry (a famous actress who ends up in a romantic relationship with Shane Hollander), posted a video of an ad for the series that aired during an actual hockey game (which was then posted by fans on X/Twitter). However, there is something fascinating about Reed’s book series: while the first season of “Hot Rivalry” focuses on the romantic relationships between Elijah and Shane, along with the budding attraction between barista Christopher “Kip” Grady (Robbie JK) and another hockey player, Scott Hunter (François Arnauld), it only covers Reed’s first two novels. Yes, Shane and Elijah appear repeatedly in multiple books, but there are also other gay couples in the hockey world who feature prominently in novels like “Tough Guy,” “Common Goal,” and “Role Model.” In other words, Jacob Tierney can take future seasons of “Hated Rivalry” in any direction he wants.

Obviously, a show that focuses on multiple same-sex couples like “Heated Rivalry” — couples who push against societal pressures to stay secret and hidden — is a big deal overall, because queer romance is still sorely underrepresented on both the big and small screen. Another reason why the Season 2 renewal is noteworthy is because this show truly It was picked up on social media once Crave and HBO Max joined forces to stream it across the world. Rachel Reid’s large fan base certainly helped matters, but she spoke as someone who had never been seen before, frankly hearing Who wrote “Game Changers” before watching “Heated Rivalry” and enjoying it so much, there was a lot of organic interest in the show outside of established Reed fans.

Liking things out loud online can be scary and even feel vulnerable (and in full disclosure, I say that as someone who’s not ashamed to be a Swiftie in public). The overwhelmingly positive response to “Hated Rivalry” has certainly helped Crave and HBO Max put their weight together behind season two, so it’s good for fans of this series and television in general, frankly, that a joyful outcry like the one that occurred during “Heated Rivalry” can actually lead to more of this compelling, hot, all-consuming story.

The first four episodes of “Heated Rivalry” are now streaming on HBO Max; The first season will span six episodes and conclude on December 26, 2025.